CUSTOMERS at an exclusive city centre bar are having to leave its outdoor area earlier than usual because of noise complaints.

Environmental protection officers from Chester City Council used monitoring equipment to investigate the complaint about Oddfellows made by a resident of nearby Grosvenor Place.

Oddfellows agreed to ask its customers to vacate the outdoor area at midnight on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays with the area cleared by 12.30am with an 11pm curfew on other days.

Smokers are still allowed to go outside after these times but are supervised and not allowed to take their drinks with them.

Senior environmental health officer Tim Braithwaite said the noise mainly related to the chatter of customers because music is not played outside. He carried out noise tests and considered the levels were a problem at times, given the venue is in “a sensitive” position.

He said: “I had some discussions with the owners and they agreed to an informal arrangement which amounts to curtailing the hours for the external areas at the back. We will have to see if that is sufficient to solve the problems.”

Mr Braithwaite said the complainant was more bothered about noise during the week because they had to get up for work in the morning.

Oddfellows director Izzy Grey said the business aimed to be a good neighbour.

She said: “We have been careful with our neighbours since we started in terms of making sure we don’t put the bottles into the bins until after 9am the following morning – they are stacked up at night.

“We are very careful about deliveries and the bin lorries must come after 8am. We also bring people in after 11pm. We don’t have to do it, but we do it because I always put myself in the position of people living there and how would I feel.”

Izzy, who carries out noise monitoring with her own equipment, said music was only played inside and “a lot of money” had been spent on making sure the glass used in the windows offered good sound insulation.

She said many neighbours were customers and the nearest resident had been given free membership and added: “We would do the same with any of them.”

Izzy said all the neighbours would be invited to a forthcoming salsa evening free of charge.

She added: “We are doing everything right and working through the authorities to address the situation.”